(NewsNation) — A newly released video obtained by NewsNation reveals the moment officials detonated derailed Norfolk Southern train tankers filled with toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, last February.
Orange and red fireballs exploded from the tankers, filling the sky with black billows of smoke.
No one was injured in the derailment on Feb. 3, 2023, but three days after it happened, authorities burned vinyl chloride found inside five tanker cars. Officials said they needed to burn the vinyl chloride because of the threat of a larger explosion. The burn released 116,000 gallons of the vinyl chloride, a carcinogen, into the air.
Vinyl chloride, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is a colorless gas that becomes a liquid when below 7 degrees Fahrenheit. While it does burn easily, the substance, which has a “mild, sweet” odor, is not stable at high temperatures. Per the CDC, vinyl chloride does not occur naturally and can be formed when trichloroethane, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene are broken down.
Three days later, the Environmental Protection Agency said it had not detected contaminants at “levels of concern” and gave the clear for residents to return.
But since the derailment, East Palestinian residents complained of varying symptoms, including rashes, chronic nose bleeds, respiratory infections and other sicknesses. They’ve also criticized the government for downplaying their concerns that their community is no longer safe to live in.
Residents fear the chemical burn and derailment may have caused long-term health effects.
Cleanup crews have removed more than 176,000 tons of contaminated soil, and the EPA has collected more than 45,000 air, water and soil samples around the community. None of those results have shown contaminants at concerning levels since the evacuation order was lifted, according to the Biden administration.
Politicians, including former President Donald Trump, have visited the community as residents navigate the aftermath of the incident. Biden was not one of them, even though he previously said he would do so “at some point.”
Now, the president plans to visit the community at some point this month.